Ursa Minor - Rising Tide Brewing Company

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.89/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle purchased as a single from somewhere localish.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/4" dark tan head over the opaque dark brown/black brew. Head is down to a skim promptly, with leggy lacing. Aroma is anise and dark malts.

Taste begins with a quick shot of dark sweetness, which quickly gives way to balancing bitterness, and then a touch of alcohol smoothing through the close. Mouthfeel is somewhat thin for the style, but goes down easy, and drinkability is good. Pretty sessionable for a hearty stout.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 23:12:39 | More by ppoitras

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.96/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Pours a pitch black color with a tiny brown head

S: Plenty of roastiness, along with quite a bit of fruitiness from the yeast. Also get a touch of wheat and chocolate

T: Follows the nose. Starts off with roastiness and dark chocolate, followed by dark fruits and wheat. Transitions well, which provides a nice complexity

M: Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth

O: A nice, flavorful stout with a subtle wheat kick and dark fruits from the yeast. Definitely different because of this, but that's a good thing. Pick this up if you want something different

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 03:38:34 | More by BEERMILER12

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.99/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

From the bottle marked 111BORN-NOV12. Sampled on March 18, 2013.

The color of the pour is very dark brown to charcoal black with a small, short-lived beige head.

Coffee and dark malts lead the aromas with a mellower subtle hop note around the edges. Little in the way of wheat.

The body is medium and thinner than I might like in a stout.

While the coffee and dark malts are still noticeable in the taste there is also a slight dark fruit like cranberry or plum playing up a bit. It is not difficult to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 21:35:17 | More by puboflyons

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.44/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: black in color, opaque, 1/4 creamy head, medium-highcarbonation

Smell: cocoa, dark chocolate, and light wheat

Taste: cocoa, dark chocolate, roasted malt, and light wheat

Mouthfeel: medium body for the style, medium carbonation, sweet with rich bitterness

Overall:Solid, but not spectacular stout. I was searching for a wheaty taste in this one and found it to be minimal. Not a bad beer, but not one i would rush to get again.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 14:54:15 | More by tigg924

Brad007

Vermont

3.54/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark black with a thin brown head into my glass. The title is perplexing. What exactly is a weizen stout? Come to think of it, this isn't a stout at all.

Cocoa and sweet, sweet clove greet the nose. It's like a demented milk stout in my opinion. Complex.

Cocoa, roasted coffee, clove and wheat sum up the flavors. Very reminiscent of a brown ale as well but with weizen yeast. It's not viscous like an ordinary stout though.

Lingering cocoa and clove flavors punctuate the mouthfeel. Very mellow. Easy to enjoy.

It's certainly not a kristalweizen or a weizenbock for sure. Similar to the beer I reviewed before this in the way that it's an experimental take on combining two styles.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 05:43:39 | More by Brad007

oline73

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a goblet.

Appearance: The beer pours black as night with over a finger of foamy tan head. The head sticks around pretty nicely.

Smell: Rather sweet but light. I'm getting some dark fruit and a hint of molasses. There is also a slightly fruity note in the mix.

Taste: Like a sweet stout, but a bit lighter. There is a cocoa like roasty note, but there is a bready sweet malt note that shows up as well. I'm getting a lot of dark fruit and come molasses. The finish is sweet and slightly roasty.

Mouthfeel: The body is medium with a ton of carbonation. The finish is slightly dry.

Overall: This is a very interesting beer. Reminded me a bit of a roasty oktoberfest. I'd have it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 03:00:32 | More by oline73

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Into a pint glass:

A: jet black colored body that gave a white half finger head that lingers for most of the beer. The body was too dark for any carbonation to be seen rising. Some nice lacing speckled the sides of the pint glass. One more thing to note: I have never seen so much sediment in any other beer until I see it in this beer.

S: wheat up front with the "weizen" yeastiness there as well, interesting for a stout, but different.

T: had those flavorings as well as chocolate and coffee with strong wheat undertones

M: crisp and it felt great on the tongue.

O: oddly enough, though the taste bothered me a bit (which is usually a big thing for me), I still think this beer was on par for the style, just not for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 15:09:18 | More by kangarooAdam59

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber into a tumbler pint, the beer is a dark, opaque, brown-to-black coloring with no head whatsoever. Aromas are roasted and coffee bitter, with a subtle fruit sweetness hidden throughout. Flavors are dark and bitter initially, and starts out like a standard stout, but it quickly lightens up, both in flavor and in body. A roasty grain backbone supports some dark fruit sweetness of cherry and grape. Smooth bodied but remaining light, the beer has a roasty, slightly smoked aftertaste leading to a clean, smooth, and slightly bitter finish. Decent brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 01:08:56 | More by GarthDanielson

BierBliss

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a pint glass

Aroma: wheat aroma

Appearance: pours black, no head, minor lacing that does not stick

Flavor: chocolate, slight coffee, wheat hints

Mouthfeel: crisp, little carbonation

Overall: not a blend I would expect, it got better as it warmed but not too bad overall

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 23:04:58 | More by BierBliss

dasenebler

Maine

3.55/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Bomber, no date to be found.

Pours a moderately thick and inky black. Head is fizzy and short-lived, with only a thin ring retaining.

Nose definitely has some Weissbier ester characteristics, along with dark malts and alcohol.

Flavor is very roasty and malty, firmly putting this beer in the category of Stout. Fruitiness of yeast complements the tangy component of the roast. Very chocolatey as it warms. Well balanced bitterness aids drinkability, though the alcohol is pretty apparent. Given how this poured I thought it would be thicker on the palate, but it's actually medium-bodied. Carbonation is messed-up. Starts out fizzy but dissipates really fast. Rising Tide is SO inconsistent in this department.

Fermenting a wheat stout with a top-fermenting German Weizen yeast is a very interesting, if dangerous, concept for a hybrid beer. But Rising Tide does an admirable job with it. Drinkable, innovative beer here.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 22:56:58 | More by dasenebler

smakawhat

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a Dogfish Head snifter glass. Much thanks to ToasterChef!

Off the pour a cocoa brown head barely forms and disappears leaving a small collar. Body color is dark brown walnut, some red hues, a little see through just a bit.

A very malty but also hoppy nose. Some bitter hop but also some real noticeable licorice senses. Sweet molasses to brown sugar as well, almost syrupy but not too sweet. Very grainy sweet, interesting.

Light bodied almost cocoa cola like palate. Mild cola nut tasting in the mid palate, some mild sweetness. Slightly tingly on the tongue but doesn't distract from the flavors. Some wet viscosity, but also some coating thickness. A sort of malty gaseous aftertaste and feeling. Some mild lingering roast, and feeling of light cigarette tobacco after some sipping.

Overall it's quite a unique stout, fun and enjoyable. It's not exactly drawing me in much though, but no complaints about drinking it.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 23:52:04 | More by smakawhat

tehzachatak

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle poured into a small tasting glass- this is a side by side review with Polaris, Ursa Minor's barrel-aged cousin.

A - pours an inky black (although not quite opaque) with half a finger of off-white head that quickly fizzles out- this might be an old bottle. compared to times i have had it in the past, the head is small. edit: when i poured the remainder of the bottle into a shaker pint, i got a good finger and a half of pretty tan head- reminds me to not use tasting glasses again.

S - bubblegum, clove, and something malty that smells almost like olives- this is not your ordinary stout. sweetness too. a really interesting, complex, and different nose.

T - YUM! big hit of coffee flavors, along with a little chocolate and some of the slight wheat beer characteristics, with clove most prominent. light body, with a lot of flavor. really a completely unique beer based on what i've had in the past.

M - and here, we get to the only part of this beer i'm not a huge fan of. Ursa Minor has a pretty thin body, with very low carbonation. it's creamy, yes, but watery at the same time- if this body was improved, this would be a truly incredible beer. as of how it is now, it's just great.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 00:07:51 | More by tehzachatak

billab914

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into a pint glass. It poured black in color with a thin tan head barely covering the top of the beer.

The aroma shows a good amount of chocolaty and roasty malt flavors to it. The wheat malts really come out in it as well and give it a bit of a sweeter, bready like presence.

The taste shows more of a chocolaty, cocoa flavor to it up front. Towards the finish more of the wheat malts start to come out and linger into the finish.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and has a bit of a creamy, silky feel to it. Overall it was a pretty tasty and interesting beer. It had some very nice stout flavors to it and had a bit of a twist to it with the wheat malts. Very enjoyable beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 02:14:57 | More by billab914

SPLITGRIN

Kentucky

4.47/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I haven't done a review in over a year but this beer almost demanded it. It is rare anymore when I am really surprised by a beer but this one is really flying under the radar.

Pours like liquid gold, totally black body and a beautiful two finger thick rich milk chocolate brown head. All the looks of a big bold stout.

Smell is soft and rich, but more like a Scottish ale with the dominant malt tones. Subtle and slightly musky sweet on the nose.

Taste is not what I expected but is truely wonderful. Rich, creamy and overall very mellow for a stout. Malt is well balanced and prickly sweet on the tongue. This almost comes off more like a porter or black ale, but in all the right ways. So smooth and almost sessionable for a 6.7% stout. Mouthfeel is just perfect. I really could drink this brew by the growler full.

I am a hardcore stout fan and don't mind at all that this stout is a bit soft. It is absolutely delicious!

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 21:15:03 | More by SPLITGRIN

womencantsail

California

1.83/5  rDev -53%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

Thanks for sharing, Dan.

The pour is dark brown, almost black, with a khaki head. The nose on this is just awful. Burnt plastic, chemical solvents, rubber, and maybe even some smoke. Blech. The flavor is no better. Still lots of burnt plastic notes, rubber, acidity, and some roast and smoke. Terrible.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 18:07:54 | More by womencantsail

MrHurmateeowish

New Hampshire

4.08/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

22oz bomber purchased at Trader Joe's in Portland. Pours a pretty much opaque black body with a thin film of light tan head. Dark chocolate and espresso beans mix with clove, banana, and bubblegum to comprise the aroma. Clove, nut, and dark chocolate hit the palate at first, fading into fresh espresso toward the finish. Surprisingly light-bodied with moderate to low carbonation. I'm wondering if I'm drinking it a little fresh and it hasn't had time to properly carbonate. Otherwise, it's a tasty balanced stout that doesn't taste quite like any other stout I've had. Awesome idea having a stout/hefe mix.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 01:47:14 | More by MrHurmateeowish

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Happy Thanksgiving.

Pours dark brown and sits "like squid ink." Thin mocha colored head. My pour beer is naked and foamless by mid-glass. Wheat should make a for better retention, no?

Aroma is dark German wheat bread, instant coffee mix and dark caramel.

Tastes...odd. Molasses sweet vs. roast malt and bittersweet baker's chocolate but there's an odd tang. I'm guessing that's the wheat.

A successful mash up of styles.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2011 01:01:37 | More by donkeyrunner

rfgetz

New Jersey

3.13/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a dark dark brown with fizzy cola like head, gone quickly with little retention. Scent is a blend of dark roasted and charred grain along with tangy wheat, notes of chocolate and coffee with a light metallic twang. Taste follows suit, the tangy wheat and charred grain combine with a thin medium body and present more "meh" than "yay". Only the second wheat based stout i've had (haandbryggeriet dark force being the other), but neither has really stuck out as bringing the best each style can offer.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 14:53:05 | More by rfgetz

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased at Trader Joe's in Portland, Maine.

A - Poured a deep black hue with a deep, dark mocha one finger head that fades somewhat quickly to leave a tiny mocha halo.

S - Big dark roasted malts, light chocolate and light coffee along with some light dark fruits as well. Some slight alcohol on the nose on the finish.

T - Taste is more of the same. Sweet malts and fruits mixed throughout with good rich roast malts. Very light on the chocolate and coffee. Mostly just nice rich malts.

M - Nice in the mouth. Creamy, lower carbonation. Feels a little on the watery side though.

O - Overall, this isn't a bad american stout. A little too heavy on the dark fruit and too subtle with the chocolate and coffee for my tastes, as well as being a bit too thin. Still, for the price this is a solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 21:09:53 | More by rudzud

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

deep dark brown, nearly opague with a nice tight tan head, very quick fade to a nice film with a good bit of lace. Lots of audible carbonation when poured was definatly noticeable.

Very nice robust caramel smell mixed with aromas of coffee and hints of roasted nuts and a touch of chocolate. Overall not bad. First impression was really just the perfect carbonation, great frothy and fluffy mouthfeel and just all around benefit to the palate. Lots of caramel flavors and again a bit of a smoked hint at the back. Small flavors of roasted nuits, chocolate and hints at black coffee. Very nice

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 02:14:55 | More by mikesgroove

SpdKilz

Illinois

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Drazzamatazz for this beer. Cheers! Taken from notes.

Appearance – Pours into a tulip with a nice dark brown color. About two fingers of mocha colored head are achieved with a moderate pour.

Smell – Dark roasted malts, caramel, cocoa, slight dark fruits.

Taste – Interesting beer. Begins as a stout with the roasted malts and bittersweet cocoa. Next comes a distinct weizen flavor such as banana, yeast, and malts.

Mouthfeel – Medium bodied, very creamy, lower carbonation.

Overall – Was on the fence when trying this but it was actually not that bad. Glad to try it.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 00:24:02 | More by SpdKilz

seeswo

Ohio

3.43/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared by Cam. Thanks man.

Pours a very dark brown with a slight, way off-white head. The nose is roasted malts and not a whole lot else. Pretty low key. The taste is just slightly off of what a lot of imperial stouts bring to the table. That dry roastiness is replaced with a dry wheatiness, which is both slightly odd and yet., it works. That said, those represent the entirety of the dimensions of this beer. The mouthfeel is fine, maybe slightly high carbonation with a good body. Overall, it is a bit forgettable in spite of being a beer defined by something I've never heard before (Weizen stout).

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 22:39:56 | More by seeswo

Urbancaver

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a very dark brown. Almost black. A nice amount of tan head. Looks great. Smells a bit muddled but a nice rich chocolatiness. Tastes smooth and roasty. A bit of bitterness on the tongue from the dark malts. Dry, thick. Enjoyable. Good mouthfeel. Overall quite enjoyable

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 21:29:59 | More by Urbancaver

srandycarter

California

3.88/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Major dark brown, lots of tan head, slow to leave. Not much lace.

S - Roasted malt. Very light.

T - Chalk, roast malt, astringent.

M - Not very sweet, but not hugely bitter either, so the balance is pretty good.

D - Not my favorite. A little too chalky for me and tiring.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 03:54:23 | More by srandycarter

Kinsman

New Hampshire

3.85/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bold and dark looking pour which is pitch black in the body and crowned with a thick and dense mocha colored head.

Aroma is loaded with cocoa and slightly fruity notes. Some roasted barley/robust coffee notes as well. Fruity esters are hard to pick out from the robust aromas of the stout but definitely are noticeable.

First taste greets you with dark chocolate and espresso notes before the fruity notes of the German Weizen yeast come into play. The wheat aspect seems to lighten the robustness a bit but add a pleasant maltiness to the body.

Mouthfeel is rather light for a stout but still pleasant. Nice creamy texture in the finish. Overall, I like the weizen yeast twist added to this beer as it adds a bit of a fruity touch that is quite pleasant with the bold flavors of roasted barley and dark crystal malts.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 00:19:07 | More by Kinsman